Teeth cleaning implement



July 31, 1956 E. F. SEGERBLOM TEETH CLEANING IMPLEMENT Filed Feb. 23, 1954 United States Patent TEETH CLEANINGIMPLEMENT Eskil' F'. Segerblom, Minneapolis, Minn.-

ApplicationFebruary 23,.1954;.Serial= No. 411,634

l'Claim. (Cl. 132-92) This invention relates. to tooth cleaning implements, and more. specifically to a vcornbineddentalfloss retainer and applicator.

It is inconvenient fora! person. to. hold length of dental flossinhishandsWhi-le. usingyit to dislodge foreign matter collected betweenhis teeth;- Implements-ofvarious types have been developed which will holdzartaut length of dental floss for cleaning teeth, alIdl'WhlC-JhlWlll holdra; supply of dental -flossfor. replenishing. that-which is--used.2 Each of such implements; however havev had some serious disadvantages. This isztruebecausemost of such'implements have been unduly complicated for the-simple functions that are tobe performedi A]so,-un.-. necessary handling of 1 the dental flOSsisrequi-red iimsome suchdrnplements to replace used dental. flossxwithtnewa. Such excessive handling of the. dental-floss -.is inconvenient and is; unsanitary.

Gneof the objects of invention is toa-provideenovel' apparatus. for holding dental flosswhich :is of inexpensive: and extremely simple; construction and. operation.

Anotherobject ofmy invention-1 is toprovide improved apparatus having-a minimum of parts: andiwhichiwil-l holda length of dental floss taut and willsreadil y and easily releasethe dental floss.

Still anotherobject of imyinvenrtionris -to provide-:amelv orated apparatus forholdingga; taut. lengtlrof tdentalnfloss and'iwhich'requires a minimum 101% :handlingofiithei dental floss to replace. such alength ofithesame.

Axfurther object of my inventionnisto provide: new; apparatus for holding a taut-lengthof'dentaltflossnfor teeth cleaningrand which will carry 'a supply sofi dental floss for replacing such a length thereof, and whichnwiilr positively guide the dental floss when a new length of the same is pulled 'into operating position;

A still furtherobject of my invention isato provide an improved apparatus for holding altautrstrandof dental floss and which may be readily and. easily taken apart, cleaned, inspected and reassembled;

These-and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from .thetollowing descriptionmade in. connection with the accompanying drawings-wherein like reference characters refer to.- the-same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Figure 1, is a side elevational view.of my invention;

Figure .-2 ,is a cross-sectional view of my-inventiorntaken at 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of my invention taken at 3-3 of Figure 2.

Disclosed herein is a dental tool constituting a tooth cleaning implement. The whole tool may be constructed of the same material, except as hereinafter designated, which may be any cheap and light-weight rigid material such as plastic which may be easily molded in manufacturing.

My invention includes an elongated tubular handle or hollow cylinder having one closed end 11 and an open end 12 which defines a transverse annular end surface "ice 2? 13. The open end 11 0f the tubularhandle 10hasinternal threads 14.

A. frame element.-15:-comprises-a yoke. or. rigidly interconnectedv finger member. having, spaced. apart and. adjacent free endzportions 16sor.cmssmemberswhich extend in substantially. the. sameadireetion being substantially, parallel to one another. Thebody. member of the. yoke 15. and the. parallelends'. 16.. lie. in, the plane. in. which the. axisof. the tubular. handle 10.1ies; The. frame. 15 or yokephasa' guiding .means.thereon,. such as guide recesses 17 and I8. Recess 17,. extends around the outer periphery of the yoke. 15. and. lies. substantially, in the plane. inwhich theaxis. ofk the tubular handle I0." lies. The recess 17 is..slender andish'allow so as. to. bead'apted to carry a strand ofdenta-Yfloss and'to guide the same. around the outer periphery of'the yoke 15; Guide-recesses lfl'extend. laterally. across the end portions'16 of the yoke IS'and'are aligned with-the recess 17; Re cesses 18' are substantially similar in shape and'siZe to recess 17 so as.to b'eaadaptedttoengage. and carry a strandaof dent'alfibss which is extended. and'str'etclied; across. andb'etween the. endportions 16' ofthe yoke 15.

I also provide interconnecting means suchas nipple 19fi'andthe threaddopen end 12 "of'tlieliandle 1'6; the. latter of which constitutes a sleeve The cylindrical; nipple 1'9."is fixedly attached to, and may be-integralof, the yoke 15. The nipple 19 extends generally, trans= versely of one of the" end"p ortions: 16' of" the yoke 15 and" extend's;outwardly from said end portions 16 and has its axis coextendingwiththe axis of the tubular member-19; The nippl19- has: external threads 20 formed" thereonto the outer end thereof which" are" of such size and configuration so asto"matchthednternal' threads14of tlfe'tubular-h'andl' 10'. The "nipple:19" is threadably connected" in the open end' '12" of" the" tubular handleIO. The frame oryoke ISisthereby removabh mounted on the handle 10';

outwardly from" the external threads 20" of i the nipple 19 andextends' around the outerperiphery 'oftl'fe'nipple 1'9. When" the" tubular-handle 10 is-- screwed onto: the nipple 19, the annular end"surface-13*"will' "peripherally engage the flange 21; in-strand=clampingrelationship;

A- slot 22 or' p'assage extends transversely 'througl'1the nipple 19' and liesin one ofthe diameters thereof. The slot- 22 extends substantially" the" entire length" of the nipple" 1-9"from the' fl'ange -21 to the opposite end"of"'the nipple 19:- T he'widthof'the sldtZZ is 'substantiallyequal to or slightly' greater than the-"thickness of'a' strandof dental-floss soas to' be'adaptedtorcarry and freelygnide such a strand of dentalfloss' fromthe interior of'the tubi1-' lar handle 10 'to' the exterior of: the. same:

A supply of dental'floss' 23,: in"the formtofa coiled strand; is'carried in the hollow'interior of"th'etubhl'ar handle The dental 'floss23' has a free end 24"whic'h extends from the hollowi'nteriorof the tubular handle 10 through the slot Hi and outwardly 'offthe nipplet19' and handle '10: Thefree end 24'of the dental floss 23li's there. after extended through the 'strand=guidihg recess 17'which carries the free end 24 around the outer periphery of the yoke 15; and the free end 24 is thence extended through the recesses 18 which carry the free end 24 across and between the end portion 16 of the yoke 15; and the free end 24 of the dental floss is then passed through the recess 22 and transversely through the nipple 19 so as to pass between the flange 21 and the annular end surface 13 of the tubular handle 10 to hang freely exteriorly of the handle 10. The free end 24 of the dental floss may be pulled tautly about the outer periphery of the yoke 15 so as to provide a substantially rigid length of dental floss extending between the end portions 16 of the yoke 3 15. The free end 24 of the dental floss may then be clamped between the flange 21 and the annular end surface 13 of the tubular handle 10.

I also provide a tapered aperture 25 extending through the yoke 15 and positioned adjacent the nipple 19. A circular strand-cutting plate 26 is pressed into the periphery of the aperture 25. The plate 26 has a sharp-cornered opening therethrough formed in any suitable configuration such as a triangle. The inner edges of the plate 26 which define the openings therethrough may be sharpened so as to provide eflicient strand-cutting means.

In operation, when the tool has been threaded with a length of dental floss and has a supply of the same stored therein, a new length of dental floss may be pulled into position between the end portions 16 of the yoke 15 with a minimum number of steps to the operation. The yoke 15 and nipple 19 are turned through an are relative to the tubular handle so as to separate the flange 21 and the annular surface 13 and to loosen the free end of dental floss which extends therebetween and is clamped thereby. When the free end of dental floss has been loosened, it need be merely pulled to supply a new and clean length of dental floss into operating position between the end portions 16 of the yoke from the coiled supply in the handle 10. When such a new length of dental floss is pulled into operating position and is taut around the periphery of the yoke 15, the yoke 15 and nipple 19 may be turned through an are relative to the tubular handle 10 so as to provide shifting of the flange 21 toward the annular end surface 13 which will securely clamp the dental floss extending therebetween. The used length of dental floss may then be turned in a complete convolution around the exterior of the handle 10 and then passed through the strand-cutting plate 26. A light pull on the end of the used length of dental floss will cause it to be severed by the plate 26.

The tool is operated in cleaning teeth by pulling a new and clean length of dental floss into operating position between the end portions of the string. The handle is gripped by a persons hand and the yoke is inserted into the persons mouth with the end portions of the yoke on opposite sides of the row of teeth. The tool is then manipulated so as to insert the taut length of dental floss between two teeth down and adjacent the gum thereof and the; the dental floss may be worked around therein to loosen foreign matter and may be pulled out. This is substantially the same method of teeth cleaning as is used wherein the dental floss is held manually without use of a tool.

It will be seen that I have provided novel apparatus for holding a taut length of dental floss and which is of inexpensive and extremely simple construction and operation. The apparatus may be constructed of inexpensive materials which may be molded in a minimum of operations. Operation of the apparatus is accomplished by a minimum of manipulation of the parts thereof.

It will also be apparent that I have provided an improved apparatus which will hold a taut length of dental floss and which has a minimum number of parts for holding and releasing the dental floss. Because there is a minimum number of parts, the apparatus will be extremely cheap to manufacture at a high rate of production. The parts of the apparatus will readily and easily hold and release the dental floss held thereby.

It should also be observed that I have provided a new apparatus for holding a taut length of dental floss for teeth cleaning and which will positively guide the dental floss when a new length of the same is pulled into operative position and thereby preclude the necessity of excessive handling of the dental floss when a length of the same is to be replaced. The positive guiding feature of my apparatus obviates the need for re-threading the tool each time a new length of dental floss is to be supplied to the working portion thereof.

It should also be apparent that I have provided an improved apparatus for holding a taut strand of dental floss which may be easily and readily taken apart, cleaned, reinspected, and reassembled. The simplicity of construction of my apparatus provides for a rapid knockdown and reassembly of my apparatus which is necessary if the apparatus for cleaning teeth is to be kept in a sanitary condition. A sanitary condition, which is highly desirable for an apparatus which is to be used in the mouth, is easily facilitated by the simplicity of disassembling and assembly.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

A tooth cleaning implement for use with a strand of dental floss and the like, said implement having in combination a longitudinally extending tubular handle having a closed end and an internally threaded open and an annular end surface adjacent said open end, an externally threaded nipple being threadedly mounted in said open end of said handle and having an external annular flange fixedly mounted thereon and peripherally engaging said annular surface in strand-clamping relationship, a rigid yoke having spaced apart parallel end portions extending transversely of said handle and in the plane of the axis thereof, said yoke having aligned strand-guiding recesses extending across the end portions thereof and around the outer periphery thereof, said nipple being fixedly attached to one of said yoke end portions and having a strandguiding slot extending the length thereof to said flange and extending transversely therethrough in the plane of said guiding recesses in said yoke, whereby when a supply of dental floss is carried in said tubular handle, a strand may pass out of said nipple slot, around the periphery and between the end portions of said yoke, and transversely through said nipple slot again to be clamped between said flange and said annular end surface of said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 906,651 Nichols Dec. 15, 1908 1,161,043 Gallas Nov. 23, 1915 1,239,633 Stickler Sept. 11, 1917 1,468,942 Gamble Sept. 25, 1923 1,494,679 Fischer et al May 20, 1924 1,952,358 Bohm Mar. 27, 1934 2,067,692 Cammack Ian. 12, 1937; 2,113,439 Bean Apr. 5, 1933 2,516,539 Atols July 25, 1950 2,644,469 Cohen July 7, 1953 

